Hot water preheated bathtub



March 30, 1937. J s o 2,075,471

A HOT WATER PREHEATED BATHTUB Filed Sept. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Jf aiz/off Attorneys Mar ch 30, 1937. 1 SAHLQFF 7 2,075,471

HOT WATER PREHEATED BATH'I UB Filed Sept. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f aliaff Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNETED STATES attain FATENT @FFEQE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved bathtub, preferably of the so-called modern built-in type, and has reference in particular to ways and means whereby the tub may be preheated through 5 the instrumentality of circulating hot water to sufiiciently warm the tub to remove the chill and render bathing more comfortable at certain seasons of the year.

In reducing to practice the principles of the 10 inventive conception, I have perfected a bathtub characterized primarily by a hot water circulating jacket susceptible of receiving a supply of hot water from the existing household appli ances, whereby to make it possible to continu- 1; ously circulate the warm or hot water around the tub to warm it sufficiently for comfortable bathing and to do this with the aid of proper supply and return pipe features.

More specifically, however, the chief novelty g resides in what might be called a conversion attachment for built-in tubs which is susceptible of being installed in present-day bathrooms without requiring material alteration, especially at the time of original installation, said attachment being in the nature of an insert and so constructed as to permit it to cooperate with the already existing or stock parts of the tub to define the desired water circulating jacket.

Other features and advantages will become 0 more readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

35 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a built-in tub embodying the attachment constituting the hot Water preheater, said view showing the piping considered necessary to render the assemblage practicable.

40 Fig. 2 is a transverse or vertical sectional view through the tub arrangement depicted in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View of the same.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the insert or attachment expressly designed to convert the tub into the form illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings by distinguishing reference numerals, it will be observed that the so-called conventional or regulation present- 50 day or built-in tub is denoted by the numeral 5. It is of a one-piece porcelain construction and includes the customary receptacle or tub proper indicated at 6. Surrounding the top thereof is an appropriate protection and ornamental rim 1 which extends completely around the perimeter.

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Then there is a skirt, one end of which is denoted by the numeral 8 in Fig. 3, and the major portion of which is indicated at 55 and illustrated to advantage in Fig. 1. This leaves the tub open on the side facing the wall and open at the left hand end abutting the right angularly disposed bathroom wall (not shown).

This type of a tub is ideal to accommodate the conversion adapter unit or attachment denoted by the numeral It! in Fig. 4. This unit com- 10 prises a substantially U-shaped main portion made up of the complemental features ll, 12 and IS. The portion H occupies the space between the tub proper 6 and the bathroom wall and the opposed parallel portion is occupies the 15 space between the depending skirt 9 and the tub wall as shown in Fig. 2. The connective or bight portion I2 occupies the remaining space at the right hand end of the structure as is obvious. Rising from. and formed integral with the part II is a vertical wall or member M which has its upper end welded or otherwise connected with the overhanging rim l and has its end [5 joined to the free end of the skirt portion 8 as shown to advantage in Fig. 3. The upstanding features or members it and H are in effect closures and fill in the spaces between the skirt 9 and the tub and wall to the left as shown in Fig.

1. Thus this insert is simply slipped into place to match the already existing features and properly soldered or otherwise joined thereto to provide the desired liquid-tight joints. It cooperates with said features in forming the hot water circulating jacket constituting the essence of the invention.

The hot water supply pipe is denoted by the numeral I8 in Fig. l and has a branch connection as at l9 to extend throughan opening 20 to supply the hot Water into one side or one end of the jacket. There is a similar hole at 2| in the upstanding closure part H which serves to accommodate the fittings of the hot water return pipe 22. Consequently one of the features of the advantage is in utilizing a hot water boiler or storage tank heater or the like in supplying the household water into the jacket for warming the tub for preheating purposes. Naturally, in practice, suitable controls such as valves (not shown) or thermostats (not shown) may be used in controlling the circulation of water through the jacket periodically or whenever necessary or desired.

The gist of the invention, it will be understood, is in the incorporation of the conversion attachment It! in a built-in tub of the type indicated as at 5 in Fig. 1, whereby to supplement the tub to provide it with a water circulating jacket.

Obviously this is primarily preheating the tub preparatory to taking a bath. Obviously, how- 0 ever, water can be circulated therethrough so that the tub could, in effect constitute a heater and take the place of a radiator in the bathroom. This is due to the fact that the arrangement is such as to permit the ordinary household piping to be slightly revised and to satisfactorily cooperate with the supplementary tub feature.

Certain advantages and features are believed to be present in this arrangement and may be enumerated briefly as follows:

1. Added comfort and convenience in bathing because, with the heating device, no part of the body can come in contact with any cold surf-ace as is always the case withan unheated bathtub.

2. Added comfort in bathing on cool days in the spring and fall and also at other times by reason of the temperature of the bathroomitself being warmed by theheating of the tub and the circulation of the'hot water around it.

3. This heating arrangement will be especially advantageous in connection with bath tubs where .ooncave or flat spaces are provided asseats in that those portions of the tub would be warm and comfortable to sit upon.

In the case of small children while bathing 01' playing with toys in or around the tub, they would not be subjected to the possibility of taking .cold by reason of coming in contact with .the cold tub as at present and they should thoroughly .enjoy splashing around in a preheated bathtub.

' .5. Abath tub heated as above described would be a special comfort to elderly persons .afilicted with .any ailmentand also to thosepersons who are susceptible to colds.

.It is thought that persons skilled-in the ,art to 40 which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clearunderstanding of theinvention after .considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, .size .andrearrangement of details coming Within the fieldof invention. claimedmaybe resorted to in .actual practice, if desired.

What I claim as new -is:

1. .In a structure of the class described, incombination, a built-in .tub including a tub proper, amarginal rim at the top of said tub, a skirt having an end portion disposed at one end of the tub and a side portion disposed at approximate right angles thereto, said skirt portions being disposed in spaced parallelism with respect to the adjacent walls of the tub proper, a substantially horizontally disposed U-shaped member including side and end features embracing the lower portion of the tub and attached thereto, certain of said features being attached to said skirt portion, an upstanding wall carried by one of said features and joined to an adjacent overhanging part of the aforementioned rim, and a pair of vertical end'members constituting closures and apertured to accommodate supply and :returnpipes.

2. A jacket constructing unit of the class described comprising a one-piece unit including a substantially flat U-shaped portion, a pair of substantially duplicate upstanding apertured clo sure members at the outer free ends of the spaced parallel component parts of said U-shaped portion,.and a vertical wall rising from and formed integral with oneof the said portions and joined to the adjacent upstanding end member and of a length commensurate with the length of said U-shaped member.

3. .An attachment of the class described .comprising a one-piece tub conversion device embodying a vertical jacket forming wall, a substantially U-shaped part attached to and extending at right angles from said wall, and a pair of upstanding end closing elements attached tothe ends of the spaced-parallel portions of said U- shapedpart as described.

4. As a component part of a bathtubjacketing assemblage of the class described, a one-piece sheet material unit comprising a substantially rectangular perpendicularly disposable plate, a substantially U-shaped complemental part attached to the lower'edge of said plate andextending;at right angles thereto,.said'U-shaped part being of a length commensurate with said-plate, said U-shaped part being substantially flat, and a pair of substantially duplicatevertically disposed jacket-end forming members attached to and rising at-right angles from the free end1portions ofthespaced parallel portions of said U- shaped part, one of said end -members being joined-to the adjacent end of said plate in'the manner and for the purpose described.

JOSEPH F. SAHLOFF. 

